DBT - was it/is it effective for you?

[HildaOgden]

Am going for an assessment to see whether I'll be suitable for DBT at the end of this month.

Just wondered if DBT is really effective as it's reported to be?

Has your self harming lessened/become less severe or stopped altogether on the back of the work you've put in with DBT?

Or did DBT not work for you?

If I get past the assessment stage I'll be doing the full DBT programme. Individual, Group skills and phone coaching, for a year on an outpatient basis.

Thanks in advance.

[[Luna]]

Hi there,

I'm just about to finish 18 months of DBT and I can definitely say it's made a positive impact on my life.
Before I started I was frequently in psych hospital and a regular attendee of a&e due to self harm and suicidal ideation but since doing the DBT I haven't been in psych hospital and the number of times I've been in a&e has dramatically reduced.

The skills are useful tools to help cope with difficult thoughts and feelings. I often found the one to one sessions a lot more helpful than the skills group but some people preferred vice versa.

It's definitely worth a go! It won't solve everything but it can provide you with new ways of coping. x

[HildaOgden]

thanks for sharing your experience.

It is very uncertain whether I will get the opportunity to do DBT. The appt I have is only for an assessment to see whether I will be suitable.

Are there any other ways in which you feel DBT has helped you, besides the reduction in self harm/suicidality?

[[Luna]]

Yes definitely, it's improved my interpersonal effectiveness (How you interact with others and form relationships). I'm nowhere near perfect with it but the skills have helped me see patterns of behaviours I was carrying out that were detrimental to relationships and also give me a guide on how to handle other people when difficult situations arise.

Also, the mindfulness exercises are really helpful for dissociation and anxiety.

http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/ Here's a website my CPN gave me the link for, it has some of the skills you learn.

[HildaOgden]

thanks for all your help

[sherlock holmes]

Since doing DBT twice my self harm has gone from severe and requiring hospital treatment nearly daily to being little more than scratches once every few months. My suicidalness has got better too and I've only had one hospital admission in five years since being discharged from DBT.

The skills are handy, I have forgotten quite a lot, but what I remember is very helpful. Mindfulness is amazing for anxiety.

[Epicene]

I'm currently doing DBT and find it really helpful. I like it because although it's really hard work, there's a skill for virtually every situation in which you might experience urges. That's not to say I'm behaviour-free yet, but I feel a lot more in control than I did and I've been able to ride out several difficult periods without self-harming (when in the past I definitely would have). When I began, I was also suffering from anorexia and it's massively helped with my ED.

[HildaOgden]

thanks for sharing your experiences.